Abstract
There have been many innovations to the standard endotracheal tube over the years, many of which were intended to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Ventilator-associated events are associated with the objective outcomes of increased duration of mechanical ventilation, length of ICU and hospital stay, and increased risk of mortality. Many specialty tubes have been associated with a reduction in the clinical diagnosis of VAP, but studies have failed to show differences in objective outcomes. This article reviews the evidence related to specialty tubes and discusses their role in improving objective outcomes associated with ventilator-associated events.
- ventilator-associated pneumonia
- ventilator-associated events
- endotracheal tubes
- mechanical ventilation
- patient outcomes
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Thomas Piraino RRT FCSRT, Street Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada. E-mail: thomaspiraino{at}gmail.com.
Mr Piraino discloses relationships with Dräger, Philips, and Fisher & Paykel.
Mr Piraino presented a version of this paper at the New Horizons Symposium: Ventilator-Associated Events – Surveillance and Understanding of the AARC Congress 2018, held December 4-7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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